Disney to Build Avatar Attraction

September 21, 2011

By CHRISTINA CARON

20th Century Fox

Pandora, the mystical world featured in the 2009 movie “ Avatar,” will be brought to life, Disney President and CEO Bob Iger announced today.

Disney has partnered with filmmaker James Cameron to create the first “Avatar themed land” in Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park in Orlando, Fla. Construction is slated to begin by 2013 and will be completed about five years later.

“Our goal is to go beyond current boundaries of technical innovation and experiential storytelling, and give park goers the chance to see, hear and touch the world of Avatar with an unprecedented sense of reality,” Cameron said in a press release.

The “Avatar” attraction will reportedly span several acres and is expected to cost around $400 million, according to the Associated Press.

Cameron told reporters the attraction would likely include animatronics, rides, themed food and 3-D multimedia shows. The sequel to “Avatar,” Cameron’s top-grossing film, is scheduled for release in December 2014. “Avatar 3? will be released the following year.